A New Life
by Snow Shadow 17
Summary: What if Luke and Leia had an older sibling? Tara Skywalker watches as the events of Order 66 unfold. Mid and post ROTS. Please R&R!
1. Chapter 1

I crouched behind the burgundy chairs in the training room, too afraid to do anything. I could hear blaster fire from outside and the thud of the dead Jedi as they fell. The other younglings beside me were hiding too, not knowing what to do. I could sense my father in the temple, probably bravely fighting against the invaders. My father would certainly save us, and fly us to a safe place once he knew we were here. He was the "Hero Without Fear". But something felt wrong about his Force signature. Somehow, I felt helping us weren't his exact motives, but I shook this thought away.

"What do we do?" My friend Seraphina asked, her green eyes glistening with fear.

"I don't know," I whispered back, staring down at the cold floor, following its intricate swirling patterns with my eyes.

A short while after, Anakin Skywalker walked into the room with a black hood covering his eyes. I confidently stepped out from behind the couch and came towards him, relieved that he was here at last. He lowered his head and what I saw sprang fear back into me. Instead of the blue eyes that spoke kindness were the fiery yellow eyes that screamed anger. They were the eyes of a Sith. I immediately stepped back, wanting to warn the other younglings, but it was too late.

"Master Skywalker, there are too many of them. What are we to do?" A young boy of 8 years asks. In response, he activates his lightsaber, the blue blade humming. The boy instantly flinches with an expression of fear and curiosity. He quickly stabs the boy in the heart and he dies instantly, falling down on the floor.

As horrified as I was, my blue lightsaber snapped to life, with the others following. Fear still gnawed at my mind but I set it aside. _There is no time for fear_, I scolded myself. Some tried to charge for the door, hoping to escape him, but others rushed at him with their lightsabers poised. He cut them all down with one clean stroke. I tried to help them defend themselves, but he keeps pushing me back with the Force, not wanting to hurt me.

Now only my friend and I were left. I instinctively formed a human shield around her, holding my lightsaber horizontally, protecting her from further harm. I hoped with all my heart he won't hurt her. With a flick of his outstretched hand, he pushed me sideways and pinned me against a wall with the Force. My lightsaber fell from my grasp. I attempted to move but to no avail.

"No! Don't hurt her!" I cried at him, warm tears streaming down my cheeks. Ignoring my protests, he stepped closer to her. I already knew what was going to happen, and the thought made more tears leak from my eyes.

"Stay away!" She screamed at him, letting fear into her voice. She held her green blade diagonal, ready for his attack. The feeling of helplessness intensified as she backed up into a wall. He attacked, bringing his lightsaber down hard and knocking hers from her grip.

"Turn to the Dark Side, and I may yet save you," he told her cruelly. His lightsaber was now directly in front of her. "There's no escape; join me or die."

"No," she composed herself and replied calmly. Anakin jerked his hand and sent a searing pain though her stomach, causing her to scream. He retracted his blade and took a step back, allowing her to fall forward.

"No!" I now screamed at him, "how could you betray the Jedi after everything they've done for you!?" I cried, horrified at what he'd done. Anger crept into me, but remembering Yoda's wise words, I managed to push the feeling away. He finally let me go and I zeroed in on my friend. He grabbed my collar before I reached her and jerked me around. "No! Stay away! I don't want to be near you!" I yelled at him, trying to pry and push myself free from his hands but he pulls me closer.

"Join the Dark Side! Together we can rule the galaxy as father and daughter," my father told me. He stared down at me with his yellow eyes, full of hatred and anger. His eyes made me want to shrink back, but his grip on my collar held me in place.

"No! I don't want to rule anything!" I replied, frantically shaking my head in a way that sent my golden-brown hair bouncing.

"You will turn to the Dark Side, whether you like it or not!" He angrily shouted at my refusal. With this, he dragged me out of the training room.

"Take her to Mustafar and I will be there soon. I want her unharmed," he orders the clones troopers. I made it as difficult for them as possible while they took me nearer to my father's ship.

"Can't we just stun her?" One of the troopers ask, realizing I was too much of a hassle. I admit I was, because I kicked and punched in every way possible to break free from their grip.

"I guess we can. Lord Vader told us he wants her unharmed, right? I don't think a stun bolt will harm her," another trooper answers, shrugging. He raises his gun, sets it to stun and shoots a brilliant blue beam at me. Before I could react, a bright light hits my eyes and I collapse on the cold tile floor, unaware of what was happening around me.


	2. Chapter 2

I woke up with a jolt in my father's starfighter cockpit, leaning against the controls and breathing heavily. My memories came back to be in a rush. My best friend who taught me how to hold my lightsaber properly, and all the other youngsters that had been killed by him. I sat back down on the soft leather chair and curled into a ball, wanting to wish all those memories away. I wished this whole incident was a horrific nightmare I could wake up from. But I knew that it wasn't; this was reality.

Peeking around, I saw I was on some kind of volcanic planet. Lava bubbled and exploded into the air, thick and full of ash. It was very hot here, and I did not like it at all; I preferred the cold. Beads of sweat were forming on my forehead. I wiped them away with my sleeve. I could sense my father, nearby. I needed to get out!

Quickly tucking a lock of hair behind my ear, I carefully climbed out of the starfighter and saw R2-D2 perched nearby.

"W-where am I, Artoo?" I asked him, crouching down on the volcanic rocks. It beeped a response and I nodded. With my head settled on my knees, I sat beside it, staring off into space. I lifted my head at the sight of a gleaming silver ship. It landed and my mother descended down its ramp with a worried look at why I was here. I threw myself into her arms, relishing the comfort. Her hugs always brought me a sense of peace and safety,

"Are you ok?" She asked, still hugging me tightly and stroking my back.

"Father t-turned t-to the D-dark Side," I replied. Tears began to well up in my eyes, and I let them flow freely. Her expression changed from worry to fear. My answer had confirmed Obi Wan's statements. I sensed my father was getting closer and I backed up towards the ship, releasing myself from her warm hug and ran towards the ship with my head down. Obi Wan caught me by the shoulder, willing me to be still.

"Tara? What are you doing here?" He asked me with concern. I immediately started crying over my situation, explaining it with a cracked voice. He lifted me off the floor and gently set me down in the co-pilot's chair. He knelt before me, and his calm blue eyes met mine.

"Be brave. Be strong. I'll be back soon," he rustled my hair and walked out of sight. I heard some yelling outside and soon the voices drifted off as the lightsaber duel intensified. A dead silence hung in the air as I waited for him to return.

"Oh dear, oh dear!" C3PO exclaimed. At C3PO's remark I sensed something was wrong with my mother's Force signature, and couldn't help but run from the ship. I gasped and froze to a stop as I took in the sight before me. My mother was lying down on the floor, unconscious. _How? Why?_

I knelt by her side, sobbing once more. I timidly pressed two fingers against her neck to check for a pulse. I sighed in relief when I felt a strong and steady pulse. I helped C3PO load my mother into the ship and waited for Obi Wan to return.

After a while, he stepped onto the ship with a disappointed and glum look. His tunic was covered by black smudges and it looked like he had been through quite a fight. I did not know whether to feel joyful or sad. Anakin was my father... but I was not sure if that was really him in the Temple. My father would not even think of harming younglings, let alone murder them in cold blood.

"I'm sorry, Tara. It had to be done." He told me, sorrowfully, putting an arm around my shoulders and letting my head rest on his chest.

"I think... that he died when he became a Sith," I replied, slowly glancing up at him. He squeezed my shoulder attempting to comfort me, and started up the ship. The engine whined beneath my feet and the ship hovered into the air, flying to its next destination. I set my eyes outside trying to forget the reality of the moment for a while.

"Where are we going?" I asked him, finally turning my head around and staring at the fabric of his tunic.

"Polis Massa," he replied, keeping his eyes on the controls. The bright pinpoints elongated into star lines as the ship entered hyperspace.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"Mother, please live. I can't-" I couldn't grasp the right words to finish the sentence as I held her hand tightly. She had named her newborn babies Leia and Luke. I turned my head to Obi Wan's arms and looked at my brother. His hair was blonde, just like mine. In my new brother and sister laid newfound hope for the galaxy.

"There is still good in him. There is still good in him," my mother managed to gasp out reaching out with her hand to connect with mine. Her once loving brown eyes were filled with pain. Only her heavy breathing broke the silence that hung in the air. Her Force signature was growing weaker, and tears came to my eyes when she reached her final resting position. Grief and sadness began to swirl inside me. I could not understand why she could leave me in a time where I needed her all the more. I did not understand why she had to die but perhaps it was for the best.

"Mother, no," I croaked. More waves of sadness passed through me and I buried my face in her soft white clothes. Everything was a blur at this point. Everything seemed like a nightmare. The tears only stopped when I finally fell asleep.


	3. Chapter 3

_" I thought you were my friend! I needed you!" Seraphina yelled anger obvious in her voice. I instantly backed away from her, confused and bewildered._

_"I... I... I-" I stuttered, not able to find the right words. It was a dark, blurry room, and I wasn't sure where I was. I tried to run away but the corridors stretched endlessly before me, and my friend seemed to stay on my heels._

_"You abandoned me!" She pointed a finger at my face accusingly suddenly in front of me. The familiar hiss and hum of a lightsaber stole my attention from her. My father was here, and his blade was an angry red like that of a Sith. It casted an eerie red glow across the room._

_"Join me, and I will spare her!" His voice sounded impatient and demanding._

_"No!" I shook my head, wanting to cry, and took several steps back. Right then, the room seemed to close in on me, bringing me closer to my friend and my former father. The walls loomed around me._

_"No! You have to save me! Nooooooooo!" She screamed at me, reaching out with her hands._

I woke up screaming, panting and sticky with sweat. I was clutching at my blanket so tightly my knuckles were white. My heart pounded loudly in my chest. I felt as though it would burst open any minute. My friend's pleading voice still echoed in my ears, and the nightmare was all too real.

Still shuddering from my nightmare, I swung my legs over to the side of the bed and stood up. Craning my head around, I gazed out the window, briefly staring at the twinkling stars before tip-toeing to the kitchen. Filling a cup with water, I fell into the nearest chair and sighed. _Why? Why did all this have to happen?_ Why did my mother have to die? I held the cup to my lips and tipped it, and cool water ran down my parched throat. Tears escaped my eyes and I let them flow freely, not caring to wipe them away.

"You shouldn't be here," a kind voice stated. I jumped up, knocking the chair over and almost stumbling into it in the darkness. _Why didn't I sense him?_

"Obi Wan. I... had another nightmare," I whispered timidly, my head down. I stared at the floor while shuffling my feet.

"Where am I?" I asked, lifting my head to stare at his pale blue eyes. They still spoke of sadness.

"You are on Tatooine...with your brother," he replied. _My brother...Luke! He's here?_

"Luke... he's... Luke is here?" I muttered absent-mindedly.

"Yes, he's safe with your relatives, Beru and Owen Lars." I grew even more curious.

"My mother... did you have a..." I trailed off, afraid that if I spoke one more word I would start crying.

"Yes, we did. I'm sorry, but we thought it would be unwise for you to go. There was the possibility of your father appearing." He said quietly.

"I understand... I have relatives here?"

"Would you like to stay with them?"

"No, I would rather stay with you. I don't know them." I whispered.

"I'll protect and keep you safe, my padawan, if that is what you want." He told me reassuringly. I ran forward and hugged him tightly, instantly beaming at his remark, and letting out a smile of true joy; for the first time since my mother's death.


End file.
